What to Expect if Being Sued by Citibank for Credit Card Debt in Texas (2024)

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Have you received a notice saying that Citibank is suing you? If you get sued by Citibank, you may wonder if it is a Citibank debt collection scam letter or if it is legitimate. If it is real, what can you expect, and what do you do to protect yourself? We do not recommend ignoring it. Instead, verify whether it is real and review your case with a debt defense attorney. Below, we discuss some of your potential options if being sued by Citibank in Texas.

At Warren & Migliaccio, our North Texas debt defense lawyers help individuals and families find affordable and effective resolutions to their cases. Our law firm has significant experience and success defending individuals in credit card collection lawsuits. We welcome you to schedule a consultation with us to discuss your options to put Citibank’s lawsuit behind you.

What Is Citibank, N.A.?

Citibank, N.A., also known as Citibank or Citi, is the United States banking subsidiary of Citigroup, a global financial services company. Citi is one of the most prominent credit card issuers in the country. It also has other banking, lending, and investing services.

Why Is Citibank Suing Me?

Have you received a Summons or an official notice of a lawsuit from Citibank? Citibank may be suing you because it believes you have delinquent credit card debt.

Credit card issuers like Citibank may resort to litigation when they cannot collect debt payments from credit card owners. Because of this, if Citibank is suing you, it is attempting to recover money it believes you own and owe.

Who Represents Citibank in Its Debt Collection Lawsuits?

If you are being sued by Citibank, you will likely hear from its debt collection lawyers. Citibank uses multiple firms to pursue debt collection on its behalf in Texas. These firms include, but are not limited to:

Moss Law Firm, PC
Javitch Block LLC
Couch Lambert, LLC

Call (888) 584-9614 or click here to submit a consultation request form now.

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See Also
What should I do if I’m sued by a debt collector or creditor? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau How Often Do Credit Card Companies Sue for Non Payment?At Capital One, Easy Credit and Abundant Lawsuits Attorney General James Sues Citibank for Failing to Protect and Reimburse Victims of Electronic Fraud

What Can I Expect, and What Are My Options In A Citibank Lawsuit?

If you received a letter in the mail saying you are being sued by Citibank, you might have a few different legal options available to you. However, answering the lawsuit should be your first step. You will likely have a better outcome for your case if you do not ignore it.

Your options may include the following:

Defending yourself against the lawsuit. Just because Citibank filed a lawsuit against you does not mean it has a strong claim against you and will win its case. It is Citibank’s burden to prove its case. If you challenge it, it may not have enough evidence against you. Additionally, you may have strong defenses to get the case dismissed or win the case.
Negotiating a Citibank debt settlement. If you recognize the debt and Citibank has a strong case against you, then attempting to negotiate a settlement may be the right option for your situation. Credit card issuers are typically receptive to settling for multiple reasons. For example, settling allows Citibank to avoid litigation costs and the chance of losing in court.
Seeking alternative debt resolution. If you are overwhelmed with the amount of debt, you may be able to seek alternative debt resolution, such as bankruptcy protection. We recommend contacting a bankruptcy attorney from our firm to discuss whether bankruptcy is right for you.

What Happens if I Ignore a Citibank Credit Card Lawsuit?

Many individuals choose to ignore credit card lawsuits for various reasons. Whether it is from fear, lack of funds, or not knowing how to proceed, you may consider ignoring it too.

However, if you ignore Citibank’s lawsuit, you are likely giving Citibank an easy win of the case. Citibank could get a default judgment against you, which legally entitles it to the money it alleges you owe because you did not respond to the lawsuit or show up in court. With a default judgment, Citibank may try to obtain the alleged debt in the following ways:

Bank garnishment, or freezing your bank accounts
Property lien, or making a claim against your property as collateral for the debt
Property seizure, or taking your property to pay off the debt

How We Help Our Clients in Debt Defense Lawsuits

We understand you are facing a stressful and uncertain time. At , we focus on helping individuals overcome these difficult financial situations and reach a resolution. We may be able to help you too.

Our North Texas debt defense attorneys have significant experience handling debt collection defense cases on behalf of our clients. During a consultation, we can review the case against you and answer your legal questions. If we decide to work together, you can expect us to help you with the following steps right away:

File a response, or Answer, to Citibank’s lawsuit
Investigate the validity and strength of Citibank’s claims
Walk you through your best legal options
Gather evidence for your defense

Depending on your legal options, we may be able to help you with the following:

Requesting the court to dismiss the case
Defending you against Citibank in court
Negotiating a settlement with Citi outside of court
Exploring alternative debt resolution options

Contact Our North Texas Debt Defense Attorneys Today

If you are facing a credit card lawsuit against Citibank, we encourage you to act by reaching out to an experienced debt defense attorney to discuss your situation. You may have viable legal options to get the case dismissed, negotiate a settlement, or fight the case in court. However, the longer you wait, the fewer options you may have.

We welcome you to call our office to schedule a consultation or fill out and submit our online contact form, and we will contact you soon. During a consultation, we can review Citibank’s claims against you and determine how we can help you move forward.

Call (888) 584-9614 or click here to submit a consultation request form now.

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FAQs

What to Expect if Being Sued by Citibank for Credit Card Debt in Texas? ›

With a default judgment, Citibank may try to obtain the alleged debt in the following ways: Bank garnishment, or freezing your bank accounts. Property lien, or making a claim against your property as collateral for the debt. Property seizure, or taking your property to pay off the debt.

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What happens if Citibank sues you? ›

If you're being sued by Citibank, you have a few options. You can ignore the lawsuit and lose by default judgment, or you can try to negotiate a debt settlement with Citibank. If you know you don't owe the debt, you can also fight the lawsuit and win in court.

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What percentage will Citibank settle for? ›

If Citibank has a strong chance of winning its case against you, you'll want to offer at least 60% of the obligation you owe. For instance, if your current balance is $2,000, you can offer Citibank $1,200 in a one-time payment to settle the amount due. Once you know how much you can pay, send an offer.

What happens when a credit card company sues you and you have no money? ›

You may lose the ability to dispute the debt, if you believe you don't owe it or that the amount is wrong, and depending on your situation and your state's laws, the creditor may be able to: Garnish your wages. Place a lien against your property. Move to freeze funds in your bank account.

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What happens if you ignore credit card lawsuit? ›

Not responding to a properly served lawsuit – even if you're unsure whether you owe the debt – can result in the court issuing a judgment against you, which could limit your ability to dispute the debt, even if it's already been paid or you don't owe it.

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How long does a Citibank investigation take? ›

Citibank will determine whether an error occurred within ten (10) Business Days after Citibank hears from me and will correct any error promptly. If you need more time to investigate, you may take up to forty-five (45) days to investigate.

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How to respond to a court summons for credit card debt? ›

In a Nutshell

If you're sued for a debt in California, you have 30 days to respond to the lawsuit by filing an answer and proof service form with the court and having an adult who isn't part of the lawsuit serve a copy of the answer on the person suing you.

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Will Citibank garnish wages? ›

If you have received a summons, never ever ignore it. Citibank is taking you to court to recover the debt, and if you do not respond or show up they will receive a default judgment. The Citibank judgment enables them to garnish your wages or even your bank account.

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What happens if I don't pay Citi credit card? ›

If you don't pay your Adjusted New Balance in full, plus any Citi Flex Plan Payment Amount, by the payment due date in a Billing Period, you'll pay interest on your Purchases from the date they're posted to your Account.

What is the lowest a creditor will settle for? ›

"Every creditor is different. Some creditors will accept pennies on the dollar, others will not settle for less than 80% in a lump sum payment," says Jessika Arce Graham, partner at Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman.

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How much credit card debt will they sue for? ›

Lawsuits aren't very common, but they do happen regularly. According to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) report, credit card companies sue for non-payment in about one of every seven cases or nearly 15% of the time. The average litigated account balances ranged from $2,700 to $12,300.

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What happens if I can't pay a lawsuit in Texas? ›

The winning party can always demand the money informally, but if they want to enforce the judgment legally, then they must go back to court for a separate proceeding to either a) garnish the losing party's wages; b) put a levy on their bank accounts; or c) get a lien on their personal property.In TX, you can't get a ...

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Is it a crime to not pay credit card debt? ›

Failure to pay credit card debt is not a crime in the United States. The US have debunked debt imprisonment in the 1950's which decriminalized the act.

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What's the worst a debt collector can do? ›

Debt collectors are limited on when they can call you — typically, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. They are not allowed to call you at work. They can't lie or harass you. Debt collectors can't make you pay more than you owe or threaten you with arrest, jail time, property liens or wage garnishment if you don't pay.

Does Citibank sue for credit card debt? ›

Does Citibank File Collection Lawsuits? Yes. Many original creditors do not file lawsuits or they sell their accounts to a debt buyer. Citibank has historically kept their own accounts and pursued them by filing collection lawsuits.

What happens if you never answer a debt collector? ›

If you receive a notice from a debt collector, it's important to respond as soon as possible—even if you do not owe the debt—because otherwise the collector may continue trying to collect the debt, report negative information to credit reporting companies, and even sue you.

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What happens if you don't pay Citibank? ›

If you don't make the minimum payment by the due date, it may count as a late payment. This can negatively impact your payment history and lead to penalties such as late fees and higher interest charges.

What does it mean when a bank sues you? ›

Normally, creditors sue for the money you owe plus interest, court costs and allowable attorney fees. When you are given a copy of the complaint and a summons to appear in court, that's known as “being served.” Do not ignore the summons. If you do so, the judge may file a default judgment against you.

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How likely is it that a collection agency will sue? ›

How likely is it that you will be sued for a debt? According to one Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report, 1 in 7 — or about 15% — of consumers contacted about a debt in collections were sued. But the likelihood of a debt collection lawsuit depends on several factors.

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